Loose-leaf binder.



O. L. BENJAMIN & H. J. WIEGAND.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1908.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

2 SHEETSSEEET l.

G. L. BENJAMIN & H. J. WIEGAND.

LOOSE LEAP BINDER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1908.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNTTED STATE @FFTCEE CHARLES L. BENJAMIN AND HENRY J. WIEGAND, OFMILWAUKEE, VJISGONSIN.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 14,1913.

Application filed. November 2, 1908. Serial No. 460,778.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES L. BENJA- MINand HENRY J. VVIEGAND, citizens of the United States, residing at liiilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of VVisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improve ments in Loose-Leaf Binders, of whichthe following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in loose leaf binders.

()ne object of our invention is to provide an efficient binder, which issimple in construction, and which can be made at small expense.

A further object of our invention is to provide an extensible binder,which may be readily adjusted to accommodate difierent quantities ofleaves.

A further object of our invention is to provide a binder which willpositively hold the leaves in alinement, irrespective of the quantity ofleaves contained therein.

Other objects and advantages of our in vention will be hereinafter setforth.

For the purpose of more clearly disclos ing tie characteristic featuresof our inven tion, we have illustrated certain embodiments thereof inthe accompanying drawings.

It should be understood that our invention is susceptible of variousmodifications.

The views in the accompanying drawings are as follows: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tablet or booklet provided with oneform of our invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the partsof the binder shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portionof one of the leaves of the tablet, showing the manner of notching thesame. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of Fig. 1.Fig. 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the binder. Figs. 7 S and 9,are views similar to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, showing a modified form of ourinvention. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate one form of looking device forsecuring the members of the binder together.

The binder illustrated in Figs. 1 to '6 in elusive, is formed in twoparts. The top 1 and portion 2 of the back are preferably formedintegrally, while the bottom 3 and portion 1 of the back are alsopreferably formed integrally. The portion 2 of the back is slotted toform tongues 5-5 at opposite ends thereof. The tongues 55 are soarranged that their outer faces are substantially flush with the innerface of the intermediate portion of the back 2. The portion 41 of theback is provided at opposite ends with recesses 6'6, adapted to receivethe tongues 5-5, while the ends of the portion 4 are bent forwardly atright angles thereto to form guides for the tongues 5. With thisarrangement, when the two parts of the binder are fitted together, asshown in Fig. 5, the b'acltthereof presents a smooth surface both insideand outside. The top 1 is provided at opposite ends with notches 8-8.Extending downwardly from the inner edge of each notch, andperpendicularly disposed to the top 1, are tongues 9 and 10, which areso arranged that the inner faces of the tongues 9 are substantiallyflush with the outer faces of the tongues 10. The bottom 3 is providedwith notches 11 corresponding to the notches 8 in the top 1. Extendingupwardly from the inner edge of each of the notches 11, andperpendicularly disposed to the bottom 3, are tongues 12 and 13, whichare so arranged that the outer faces of the tongues 12 are substantiallyflush with the inner faces of the tongues 13. The arrangement of thetongues 12 and 13 is just the reverse of the arrangement of the tongues9 and 10, so that when the two members of the binder are fittedtogether, :as shown in Fig. 5, the tongues 10 fit between the tongues13, while the tongues 12 fitbetween the tongues 9. The covers '14 of thetablet or booklet, and each of the leaves 15 thereof, are provided ono-pposite sides with notches 16, adapted to re ceive the tongues 9, 10,12 and 13, of the binder. The notches 16 are preferably made to closelyfit around the tongues to prevent the leaves from slipping out ofalinement with one another. The two sections of the binder may besecured together by any suitable means. A convenient manner of securingthe two members of the binder together, is to pass a rubber band 17around the same, placing the band in the notches therein. Accidentaldisplacement of the band is thus rendered impossible. When it is desiredto insert or remove one or more leaves, it is only necessary to removethe rubber band, or other securing means, and then separate the twomembers of the binder. The leaves can then be arranged as desired andthe members of the binder fitted together, and then the rubber bandplaced thereon. With this arrangement there are 5 no mechanical lockingdevices to unfasten or any screws to withdraw before separating themembers of the binder, as is usually necessary with other forms ofbinders. Furthermore, the peculiar construction of the 19 binderobviates all tendency of the parts to stick when separating or fittingthe same together.

It is obvious that the binder may be extended to accommodate a greaterquantity of leaves than is shown in the drawing. With many forms ofbinders, when the same are extended, the leaves contained therein arepermitted to slip out of alinement, but this is rendered impossible withour binder owing to the peculiar arrangement of the tongues 9, 10, 12and 13. As already explained, the arrangement of the tongues 9 and 10 isjust the reverse of the arrangement of the tongues 12 and 13, and,therefore, one or both sets of tongues 10 and 12 will always engage theinner-edges of the notches in each leaf and render lateral movementthereof impossible. Longitudinal movement of the leaves is prevented,owing to the fact that 3() the combined width of the tongues 12 and 13is the same as that of the tongues 9 and 10, and the notches are ofsubstantially the same width as each pair of tongues. lVhile we haveillustrated the tongues 9, 1O, 12 and 13, so formed as to fit into long,shallow notches, it should be understood that we do not wish to limitour invention to notches of any particular shape or size, or to anyparticular location of the tongues.

The binder just described is particularly designed for catalogues, notebooks, and the like, but may be used for other purposes as well.

In practice we prefer to stamp the parts of the binder out of sheetmetal, of suitable thickness, but the same may be formed in any othersuitable manner. Of course, the binder may be made in different sizes.The binder illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, is substantially likethat just described, with the exception that the back portions 18 and 19thereof do not interlock, but merely overlap one another. In thisconstruction we prefer to bend the ends of the portion 19 of the backforwardly at right angles thereto, so as to form guides for the ends ofthe portion 18. The tongues 9, 10, 12 and 13, in this instance, form theonly interlock between the two sections of the binder, but the same aresufiicient to prevent any relative movement thereof, except in avertical direction.

As previously stated, the two sections of the binder may be securedtogether by any suitable means. In Figs. 10 and 11 we have formed byslot-ting one portion of the back of the binder to form spring tongue20. The tongue 20 is provided on its under side with a projectionadapted to engage a corrugated portion 21,7provided on the other portionof the back. This arrangement per mits the two sections of the binder tobe separated when a pull is exerted thereon and to be pressed together,but effectually prevents accidental separation of the sections. Asbefore stated, the elastic band may be used in addition to the lock justdescribed, although in practice it is not necessary to use the same.

\Ve claim 1. An extensible loose leaf binder having extensible membersfitting into rectangular notches in opposite edges of the leaves, saidextensible members at all times engaging all sides of the notches ineach leaf to positively hold the leaves in alinement.

2. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyparallel plates, each of said plates being provided at opposite endswith pairs of angularly disposed tongues adapted to fit into notches inopposite edges of the leaves, the tongues of said plates being arrangedto interfit to positively hold the leaves in alinement when the binderis extended.

3. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyparallel plates, each of said plates being provided at opposite endswith pairs of angularly disposed tongues adapted to fit into notches onopposite sides of the leaves, the tongues of said plates being arrangedto interlock and to positively hold the leaves in alinement when thebinder is extended, said plates being also provided at opposite endswith notches, the notches in said plates being in alinement.

4. An extensible loose leaf binder pro vided at opposite ends withextensible substantially rectangular posts formed in longitudinalsections having their outer surfaces flush with one another and each.section forming a part of each face of its respective post.

5. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of interfittingmembers pr0- vided at opposite ends with interfitting portions adaptedto fit into notches on opposite sides of the leaves to positively holdthe leaves in alinement when the binder is extended.

6. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyright angle plates, having portions thereof overlapping and providedwith interfitt-ing portions adapted to fit into notches on oppositesides of the leaves to positively hold the leaves in alinement when thebinder is extended.

7 An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyright angle plates, having portions thereof overlapping, and provided atopposite ends with interfitting portions adapted to fit into notches onopposite sides of the leaves to positively hold the leaves in alinementwhen the binder is extended.

8. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyright angle plates, having port-ions thereof overlapping andinterfitting, and provided at opposite ends with interlocking portionsadapted to fit into notches on opposite sides of the leaves topositively hold the leaves in alinement when the binder is extended.

9. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of members havingportions thereof adapted to fit into notches on opposite sides of theleaves to positively hold the leaves in alinement when the binder isextended, and frictional means for securing said members together saidmeans permitting separation of said members at will.

10. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of substantiallyright angle plates, having portions thereof overlapping, and havingportions adapted to fit into notches on opposite sides of the leaves tohold the leaves in alinement when the binder is extended, theoverlapping portion of one of said members being provided with ayielding projection adapted to engage a roughened portion of the othermember.

11. In an extensible loose leaf binder, comprising two sheet metalplates, each of said plates being provided at opposite ends withperpendicularly disposed tongues formed )opies of this patent may beobtained for integrally therewith, the tongues on said plates beingadapted to overlap and to positively hold the leaves in alinement whenthe binder is extended.

12. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of right anglesheet metal plates having overlapping and interfitting portions, each ofsaid plates being provided at opposite ends with a plurality ofperpendicularly disposed tongues formed integrally therewith, thetongues on said plates being arranged to interfit to form substantiallyrectangular members adapted to fit into notches on opposite sides of theleaves, the tongues of each plate being adapted to positively hold theleaves in alinement without the aid of the tongues of the other platewhen the binder is extended. I

13. An extensible loose leaf binder, comprising a pair of sheet metalplates, each of said plates being provided at opposite ends with pairsof perpendicularly disposed tongues adapted to fit into notches onopposite sides of the leaves, the tongues of each pair being out ofalinement and adapted to overlap and interfit a pair of tongues on theother plate to form a member of substantially the same shape and size asthe notches in the leaves, the tongues of each plate being adapted tohold the leaves in alinementwithout the assistance of the tongues of theother plate when the binder is extended.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two witnesses.

QHARLES L. BENJAMIN. HENRY J. NIEGAND.

Witnesses:

FRED H. CRANE, F. H. PIEPER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

